


Baby On Board

by Cheryls_Strap



Series: Choni [4]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pregnancy, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Riverdale Kink Bingo 2020, Sweet, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26414113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheryls_Strap/pseuds/Cheryls_Strap
Summary: Toni has a baby on board. She and Cheryl haven’t seen each other in three years. When Cheryl moves back to Riverdale she and Toni meet up, but she hadn’t heard the news.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom & Toni Topaz, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Series: Choni [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927201
Comments: 11
Kudos: 61
Collections: Riverdale Kinkmeme





	1. It Started With A Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be a one shot for kink bingo but I got a whole story in my head so it’s going to be very fluffy with some smut later on. This chapter is just an intro from Toni’s perspective setting things up.

Toni’s heart was pounding. It had been almost four years since she’d seen Cheryl. When the redhead left for college they said their goodbyes and their hearts broke together, hundreds of miles apart.

• • •

So much had changed since she kissed her former girlfriend goodbye. She’d gone off the deep end. Imagining Cheryl in college living it up, partying, working towards a career all while she was in Riverdale back to living in Sunnyside, bar tending, and seeing this as her whole future. She drank from the time the day started until she fell asleep, usually in a drunken stupor. They had blocked each other on their socials, not out of anger, but because they knew it would hurt too much. She had recovered from her dependency after two years of drowning her sorrows, but otherwise lived in her same routine. She still used casual sex to fulfill her need for touch though. This helped, but led to a huge shock when she found out she was pregnant and didn’t know who the “sperm donor” had been. 

So of course it would be now, five months in that Cheryl would come back into her life like a sudden wildfire. She had called her, not even a text that she could have taken time to process before responding. She picked up the phone and heard that familiar voice and nearly dropped it. 

“Hey, Tee, umm Toni. It’s Cheryl.”

After a long stretch of silence where Toni’s mind was replaying all the best moments of her life, she realized she needed to respond. She swallowed and did her best to sound like she hadn’t just been punched in the gut. “Oh, hey Cheryl. How are you?”

“I’m good, I’m good. Actually I’m going to be taking a hiatus from New York and returning to quaint Riverdale. I thought it might be..surprising if we ran into each other so I figured I’d give you the heads up and see if you wanted to go out for a friendly lunch at Pops to catch up?”

Toni’s mouth was hanging open, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. More than that she couldn’t believe what she was feeling. It had been three years. How did just hearing Cheryl’s voice make her heart feel like it was swelling inside of her, making her chest so tight she could barely breathe. Her stomach twisted at the invitation. She wanted to see her, of course she wanted to see her, but how? How could she manage to look her in the eye and pretend she didn’t still have so much love for her? How would she explain the growing bump on her abdomen? How could Cheryl be moving back? A visit maybe but she was going to be LIVING in Riverdale again? How could this get any worse?

“Should I take this deafening silence as a non- RSVP?”

Toni shook her head realizing once again she’d gotten lost in thought. She spoke without taking any more time to consider. 

“No. I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard. I’d love to do lunch. When are you getting in town?” 

“Oh, great!” The girl was a great actress but the smile was audible and it spread to Toni’s cheeks as well. “I’m actually in town already. I know, I was planning to call a few weeks ago but I let my nerves get the best of me. Silly of me of course, since we’re completely cordial adults that can certainly be friendly.” 

_Gee, Cheryl was really laying on the friend zone comments. Well, I shouldn’t give any indication otherwise. I’m a “cordial adult” afterall._

“Of course, well let’s do it soon then. I’d love to catch up and see how my friend is doing.” Okay, maybe that was a little heavy on the friend talk, Toni. She rolled her eyes with this thought. 

“Perfect! Do you have lunch plans tomorrow?”

_Tomorrow?? Tomorrow!?_

“Nope. Nothing at all. How about Pop’s at 1?”

“Love it. See you then.”


	2. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls meet up at Pop’s for the first time after three years.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Now here she was in a situation Toni had never expected to find herself. Looking in the mirror as she finished getting ready to see Cheryl Blossom after all this time, turning to the side to look at the way her flowy shirt lay over her baby bump. She sighed, okay this really didn’t hide it like she thought it would. She put on a leather jacket to cover more and hoped for the best. She took her car to Pop’s since she’d given up riding while she was carrying “precious cargo.”

She arrived at five minutes to 1:00 and went inside to get a seat. She was surprised to see Cheryl already sitting in a booth. The redhead looked up at her and smiled that Cheryl smile. Toni was taken aback. She thought to herself that she should smile back before realizing she was already beaming at her. _Cool it, Topaz_ , she reminded herself. Cheryl had gotten up and was reaching her arms out for a hug and Toni hesitated for only a second. She let herself enter the embrace, immediately feeling warm throughout her body. Home. 

“Oh, what is this? Toni Topaz are you _pregnant?_ ” Cheryl’s eyes grew huge and her eyebrows seemed like they would lift right off her forehead. She was now speaking in a much too friendly tone that sounded almost sporadic, shrill and sharp in the small diner. 

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit._ She hadn’t thought about her hard belly pressing against Cheryl’s until it was too late. 

“Um, yeah. I-I am actually.” Toni looked at the ground and quickly found her way into the booth, cutting their physical contact abruptly. 

“Oh. Wow that’s simply extraordinary. Who’s the lucky Riverdale fellow?” The warm genuine smile she saw when she walked in was now replaced with one that looked plastered on. 

Toni’s eyes stayed down on her hands. “I- it’s-“ Just then Pop Tate walked up to the table looking like her lord and savior in this moment. 

“Well well, look who we have here! Just like old times. What can I get you girls?” 

“Just my usual, Pop. Thanks,” Toni mumbled and feigned a half smile, not meeting the enthusiasm of either of the people watching her. 

“I’ll do the spinach wrap and a strawberry milkshake. Thanks, Pop.” Cheryl sipped at the ice water in front of her with her puffy lips pursed around her straw. 

Toni took the opportunity to jump in before they could return to their pre-interruption conversation. “Wow, Cheryl Blossom in the flesh. College did you well, you look amazing.”

Cheryl’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Thanks Toni, you look amazing and youthful as ever. Radiant really.” 

“Thank you,” she paused for a moment, not wanting to let her elaborate on her ‘radiant glow’. “So are you going to be heading back after the summer?”

“Uh, no actually I finished a little early.”

 _Ever the overachiever. Why would she expect anything less?_

“That’s amazing, Cher. What did you wind up studying?” Toni sipped at her own drink, giving her hands something to do as she grasped it. 

“Business management. It seemed like the obvious choice since I’ll be taking over the maple farm once I poison my mother.” She smiled and shrugged. She was met with a raised eyebrow from Toni, who wasn’t sure if she was serious or joking these days. 

“Kidding! Calm down, TT!” A light laugh trilled off her lips. Toni couldn’t believe the butterflies that laugh gave her. She was reminded of other things moving in her abdomen and frowned at the thought. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Cheryl’s voice was smaller now and she looked at her her hands. 

“No you didn’t do anything. I’m sorry. Tell me more about what you’ve been doing,” Toni worked up a small smile. 

Pop brought their food and they sat for hour hour eating and talking about what the last few years had been like for the redhead. Toni answered a few questions but mainly turned them back to Cheryl because she didn’t have much to talk about in what she’d been doing. She did mention the few cross country motorcycle trips she’d taken, as these were the highlights of her years. As Cheryl talked Toni let her senses take in everything, not only her words, but her voice, melodic as ever, less confident than in high school though. She allowed her eyes to drink in the girl’s features, familiar but new. She kept her red locks long with loose curls, that much hadn’t changed, but her face was more mature now. She still looked young but her cheeks had thinned a bit, their high bones now prominent under her eyes. She wore a little more makeup than Toni remembered too, her eyes highlighted and the corners darkened with a cool brown color. Her lashes were long and beautiful as ever. She wore a nude colored lipstick now, this is what kept holding Toni’s gaze. Those big brown eyes were impossible not to look at but the moment she looked down Toni was drawn back to those full lips and how unusual they looked not painted red. 

_What am I doing here?_ Toni thought to herself, that this beautiful accomplished woman was here telling her about all the things she’d successfully done since they broke up and Toni had lived in the same small town, worked, ran with the serpents again for a bit, and now was having a baby by one of them. She didn’t want to feel bad about it. She was a bit ashamed not knowing who her little one belonged to, but she was ready to be a mother, she wanted to do something good. Here now with Cheryl she felt guilty for it and she hated that.

“Cheryl, it was good to see you but I have to go. I’m sorry.” Cheryl was cut off abruptly from her own sentence with this burst from Toni as she got out of the booth, opening her wallet to fish for cash. 

“Toni, did I do someth-“

“No. I just have to go.” She said as she tossed a bill on the table and turned around practically booking it out of the diner. Cheryl just sat there in shock, her mouth barely hanging open in disbelief and her brows furrowed.


	3. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Rose- I'm sorry I've been lazy with this story! I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with it but felt so bad realizing I had anyone waiting! I hope you like it :)

It had been a week since Toni had run out on her during lunch. Cheryl was still feeling self-conscious, though she’d never admit it. In the older days she was would have confronted Toni but they were adults now. She needed to be mature, as much as she wanted to knock down her door and demand answers. If she were being honest with herself, she was just hurt. She’d been so excited to see Toni after all this time. She was completely taken aback when she felt that bump and discovered Toni was pregnant. She knew it was unlikely but she couldn’t help the glimmer of hope she’d had that they could fall back into place and pick up where they’d left off. 

She rolled her eyes at the thought. _How could I be so stupid?_

The daily distractions weren’t helping nearly as much as she’d like either. She’d taken archery up again, something she hadn’t done since leaving Riverdale but it came back quickly and naturally. Though once she was hitting bullseyes again with every shot she became bored. She’d been gardening, trying to revive the few remaining plants in Penelope’s green house. Nothing could keep her mind off her ex girlfriend and that growing belly though. She’d tried to casually ask Pop who Toni was with, but didn’t get a straight answer. She was dying to know who the love of her life had decided to settle down with. 

It was because of these thoughts swarming her mind as she was stretched out on the couch that she didn’t hear the first quiet, meek knock on the door. The second, louder knock knock made her jump, shooting to her feet. 

She strode to the door, irritated and pulled it open without even looking who was there. Her mouth was just opening to spit a snarky remark when she came face to face with Toni. 

“Oh- hello. I wasn’t expecting to see _you_ again.” She tried to sound unbothered but realized she came off harsh. 

“Cheryl, I’m sorry about what happened at Pops.”

Hearing this she was surprised, her eyes looking the girl up and down trying to read her. 

“I just wasn’t ready. I’m sorry for running out on you. I was so overwhelmed and I felt like I had to get out.”

“It’s...okay, Toni. I know I’m a lot and I didn’t mean to push you,” as she said this her mouth drew into a smile that was more like a pressed line, Toni could see she was uncomfortable. It was uncharacteristic of Cheryl to apologize so quickly. She really had done a lot of growing up. 

“It’s not your fault. Can... I come in?” Toni looked nervous. Cheryl’s brows furrowed. She wasn’t sure why she showed up here and now wanted to come in. What did she have to say to her? She knew though that she wasn’t going to turn her away. Her heart was racing but she stepped back and pulled the door open, inviting Toni into Thistlehouse for the first time in years. 

Toni stepped in and the two stood and faced each other in the entrance. As the door closed they stared at each other and both seemed to let out at the same time the breath they’d been holding. 

“Cup of tea?” Cheryl asked, her face softer now and the corners of her lips curling slightly. 

“I’d love that. Thank you.” Toni smiled and nodded. She followed the redhead into the main room and took a seat when Cheryl gestured to the chaise, then disappeared to the kitchen to put on water for tea. 

As she walked into the kitchen she was hyper focused. Trying to keep her mind from spiraling and freaking out. _Okay, kettle, water, lid, stove. One cup, two cups, Toni likes green with honey. What is she going to say?! Breathe. Breathe. Okay get back out there she’s probably starting to worry._

She came out and sat down on the chaise a foot away from Toni before she gave herself time to overthink. 

“So, as far as unexpected drop ins I can’t complain opening the door to see you. I am wondering though, what prompted this visit?”

“I...I just wanted to clear the air. I needed a little more time to come to terms with this. I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.”

“And by this you mean...” Cheryl’s voice raised at the end as one perfect brow lifted. 

“My...baby.” Toni bit her bottom lip nervously. Her eyes moving from Cheryl’s to her lap over and over. It felt odd still saying the word. _Baby. My baby._

“Right. I’m honestly dying to know what Riverdale man was lucky enough to wind up with Toni Topaz?” Cheryl was getting that nervous wide smile again, trying to hide her emotions. 

“Cheryl... that’s what I wasn’t ready to talk about before. I’m actually not with anyone. It’s just me and this one here.” She rested a hand on her bump and a gentle smile shown, her face becoming a bit more peaceful. She looked hard at her ex girlfriend, her heart thumping as she waiting for a response. Cheryl’s cheeks were pink, she was nodding slowly as she thought about what to say. 

“I see, well-“

Just then the kettle began sounding, loud and shrill, cutting her off. Cheryl’s concentration was broken as she turned her head quickly in the direction of the sound. “Oh! I’m sorry let me get that!” She jumped to her feet and walked with surprising speed out of the room. 

Toni waited, taking deep breaths and rubbing her stomach in circles. She looked around the room, trying to assess what had changed, but realized it looked almost identical from when she’d last seen it. The television was updated, now a flatscreen with no dials on it. She’d decided to keep the rotary phone though. The girl did love aesthetic vintage pieces, that clearly hadn’t changed. 

Cheryl came back in the room with a tray. She set it down on the coffee table and handed Toni a teacup with red roses painted on it, gold around the rim. “Green with honey, just the way you like it.” 

Toni met her eyes and the girls shared a soft look, feeling nostalgic, Cheryl pleased with herself and Toni feeling warm. 

“So do you have anyone back in New York?”

Cheryl’s smile fell. She glanced down at her tea and took only a moment to compose herself again. 

“Um no, actually. I’m still single. I’ve just focused on myself and school. Can’t get distracted.” She feigned a look of self importance and shrugged. 

“Of course. No one can distract Cheryl Blossom on her path to greatness.” She grinned warmly back at Cheryl and saw the girl’s cheeks burn. 

Cheryl could feel the blood pounding in her chest and the rush of it to her cheeks and ears, the tips burning. 

“Hmm turns out that’s not true. I guess I’m my own worst enemy. I may have exaggerated a bit before. I dropped out of school. I only had a semester left but I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. I left. I failed.” Her voice quivered and Toni could see the slightest shake in her hand as she brought the teacup to her lips. Cheryl kept her eyes lowered, obviously having a hard time admitting this. Toni suspected she may even be the first person the girl had told.

“Cher... I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s fine. I know. I just figured since we’re being honest here you should know I’m not the same overachiever you knew in high school. I’m just a small town girl that couldn’t make it. A college dropout.”

“And I’m just a small town girl that never made it out of the trailer park and got knocked up, don’t even know who the father is.” Toni’s voice was small. Cheryl’s head snapped up at this and her wide eyes met hers. 

“Toni...” she looked stunned, her cheeks still burning bright red and her lips hanging open. Her hand was shaking a little more now, the slightest rattle barely audible from her tea cup on the saucer. 

“You’re not the only fuckup around here, Blossom. But I’m going to do the right thing. I don’t know who this one came from but I’m going to be do the best that I can for them.”

Cheryl hadn’t realized how close they’d gotten, she didn’t know if she was moving, Toni was moving, or if the magnetic pull of the two had them both inching toward each other, but she suddenly realized she could smell the girl. A fresh, floral scent coming off of Toni’s no longer pink locks. Her eyes saw the puffy lips in front of her, she let the familiar smell of Toni fill her nose. She closed her eyes to breathe it in, wanted so badly to lean in and kiss the girl, then remembered Toni was pregnant. Cheryl’s eyes shot open again and she tried to set the tea cup quickly on the table, but in her urgency knocked the cup over. Both girls jumped at the loud clatter beside them. She saw Toni’s mouth open in surprise but was turned fully now to the cup, standing it back up. She ran to get a towel to keep from ruining the mahogany table. 

As she was wiping the table she couldn’t help but feel completely ridiculous. _Cheryl Blossom this girl is going through an incredibly difficult time and you want to give her more drama to worry about? And make a whole production while you’re at it, god._ She rolled her eyes at herself and took the rag back to the laundry. 

She came back into the room very cautiously, each step slow and light, like she was trying not to wake a sleeping bear. Her hands were at her sides but her fingers were fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. 

“Toni, I’m sorry. I really had no clue what you were going through. I shouldn’t have pushed for information. I just imagined that you were in a relationship now and I had to know who it was with. The thought killed me of you in this happy little family with some guy from Riverdale. I mean not that you don’t deserve that. Of course you do and the thought of you going through this alone hurts me so much too...” Cheryl realized she was rambling and trailed off. 

Toni was watching her while she talked, looking up at the red head from her seat. It made me feel awkward and she didn’t know if Cheryl was gesturing that it was time for her to go by not sitting down again. Toni followed suit and slowly stood up, taking a few steps around the coffee table, closer to Cheryl in the direction of the door. 

“Really, it’s fine. I get it, you weren’t pushy. But why do you seem so bothered about me having a kid?”

 _Because it should have been mine.._ Cheryl brushed the thought away with a quick head shake. “I’m not at all bothered about you being with child, Toni. Honestly you’re glowing, I couldn’t be happier for you. And I didn’t mean to sound bothered, obviously if you’d settled down to start a family I’d be ecstatic, I was simply surprised.”

“Would you be? Ecstatic I mean?” Toni held Cheryl’s eyes fiercely as she took a slow step toward the girl.

“Of course. I want you to be happy, Toni. Of course I’ve missed you, but that wouldn’t take away from my joy for you and this hypothetical nuclear heterosexual family you’d be starting.” She was rambling more. Toni knew she did this when she was nervous. 

“Are you sure, Cheryl? I’ve missed you too and honestly the thought of you being settled down with someone else is wrenching. I can’t stand it. Seeing you, I feel something. It would kill me. Honestly it’s killing me even imagining it while I’m standing here with you. Is that what you’re feeling?”

Cheryl didn’t know how to respond. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Having Toni confront her about her feelings for her. Knowing she felt them too, it was so overwhelming. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She took one more step toward the girl to close the distance, grabbed her face and pulled her in. Toni’s arms reached back around Cheryl’s waist and she gave into the kiss. The two standing in the middle of the living room, remembering what each other’s lips felt like, so soft and warm. 

It felt like being home.


End file.
